Beginner needing help! - 'of no occupation'?

[sophia1422]

On my grandmother's birth certificate her mother is named but then listed as 'of no occupation' - in your experience would this suggest that she is living off charity/begging/other more dubious professions etc. or alternatively could it mean she has money and therefore has no need to work?? Her baptism record also shows no occupation and there is no father's name is listed on either records.

Her address is given as 8 Beech Rd, Princes Rd, Hull.

Many thanks

[River Tyne Lass]

This was also the wording on my illegitimate Grandmother's birth certificate.  Her unmarried mother was aged 17 and lived with her family.   

I think it might just mean that the Mother was not in any form of paid work. 

[stanmapstone]

Married women never apparently had an occupation! Being a wife and mother was all the occupation they were allowed. This was not altered until the late 1980's after a threatened legal action, when women were finally allowed to have an occupation shown against their name and only in the last few years has there been a dedicated space for a mother's occupation. However, mothers of illegitimate children had an occupation shown - one of the few compensations for finding illegitimacy. http://www.dixons.clara.co.uk/Certificates/births.htm#COL5

Stan

[xiaolu]

It could just mean that she was a regular "housewife",  if she was married.

[stanmapstone]

It could just mean that she was a regular "housewife",  if she was married.

Married woman had no occupation entered, until the late 1980's. It was only mothers of illegitimate children had an occupation shown, as I posted.
The child of a married woman can not be illegitimate, the father is always presumed to be the husband, even if he is not.
Stan

[sophia1422]

Many thanks all for your input!

Stan thats interesting, so it would suggest there is a possibility her mother was married but the father was elsewhere at the time of birth? There are stories of a possible Trinity House/sailing connection.

[Rosinish]

so it would suggest there is a possibility her mother was married but the father was elsewhere at the time of birth? There are stories of a possible Trinity House/sailing connection.

No, I don't think so?
If the mother was married the fathers' name would appear on the birth cert. as far as I know as it was assumed the husband was the father whether he was working away or otherwise when mother registered the birth?

Annie

[stanmapstone]

If the father’s name is not given then the child is illegitimate.

The Registration Act of 1874 states
"The putative father of an illegitimate child cannot be required as father to give information respecting the birth. The name, surname and occupation of the putative father of an illegitimate child must not be entered except at the joint request of the father and mother; in which case both the father and mother must sign the entry as informants"
The Act came into force on 1st January 1875

Stan